Propeller.



L. R. FULDA.

l PROPELLEE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1909.

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L. R. FULDA.

Y PBOPELLER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1909.

Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFCFE.

LAMARTINE R. FULDA, O' SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. l*

PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept'. 13, 1910;

Application filed November 29, 1909. Serial No. 530,328.'

propellers which are adapted for the transmissionI of power by means of tluid in which I the propellers are revolved.

I It consists 1in a'novel construction of the propellers, and means by which the propulsive action may be changed or reversed without'stopping the engine or motor.

It comprises the combination of parts, and' details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of my propeller; Fig. 2 is a section on theline fr-ir Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the propeller as applied to the stern of a vessel. Fig. t is an end view, partly in section, of the vpropellers mounted in pairs. Fig. is a rear elevation of a disk. Fig. 6 is a. view of the propeller as applied to submarines. Fig. 7 shows the successive' positions of the direction controlling disks t'or driving in dill'el'ent. directions. Figi H is a view olt the invention as applied to air-ships. ltig's. t) and l() show a nlodilied it'orni o'l the propeller.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device :tor the propulsion ot vessels or structures through any fluid medium, such as Water or air.

The propeller as'coustructed consists of blades A secured to a hub on'the revoluble shaft 2, through which power may be trans- -mitted from any suitable or desired motor to revolve the device. These blades are arch-shaped to form a front edge of little or no resistance in 4the direction of revoluthe blades, and may be closed as -shown cavities formed by the arching of the blades are so constructed that as the blade'srevolve,

at A. `Disks 4 having substantially' the same diameter as the exteriorl eriphery of the blades,1are so mounted t at the cona-re presented toward the disks, and thedisks the open front edges of the blades will sweep the tiuid fthrouggjh which they revolve in- \\^ard l`\', and by the closure of the rear of the propeller blades,this body ot tluid is temporarily confined during a portion of the revolution of the propeller blades.

.is shown in Fig. 2 where the inner face of the propeller blades is practically in con! .tact w-itlrt-lrejlane oi the disk l, a portion ot the disk is provided with an aperture, and another portion ot the disk is without aperture, as plainly shown. The operation ot this will then be as follows: 'lhe unapertnred portion ot the disk is set. in such a manner as to control the direction ot travel.

This is done by revolving the disk independently ot the revolution ot' the shaft, and tixing' it so that during the operation of the propeller` the {luid which is swept inwardly during that' portion of the revolution, in which 4the propeller blades are passing over :the unapertured portion ol the disk, will be temporarily confined, and the action ot' the blades will then be to propel the apparatus in the direction opposite to that in which the blades are moving. The. ren'iainder of the disk is open or provided with the aperture, as shown at et, and allows for the tree escape ot the (luid after passing tht` unapertured portion ot the disk.

in ltig. l the curve ot the blades ot thc propeller is such that a substantially open passage is lett through blades, so that when revolving freely, the blades simply cut through the fluid without any sensible action. When constructed in this manner, the disks are provided with rims 5 which vproject from the face, a'nd as the propeller blades' revolve, they enter the space within this riln, as tl i e outer edge .Qilliblades has a eurvatre'corresponding with the eurvatuie the rnn, it will be seen that the space 1n rear of the blade will be closed by the rim while the blade'is Apassing-through this portion of the disk. The effect then will be to temporarily'close the space in rear of the blades, and toA produce an action like that previously described Where the blades are absolutely closed at the rear. As soon as the blades have passed the rim, the space in rear ofthe blades will again be opened so-that the fluid can readily pass without obstruction; the .action in this ease being to propel the-vessel'in the opposite 'direction to that in which the propeller is re- 4- volving, as described inthe previous instance. v

The disks may be made open at all points except the'portion through which the ri'm extends, andwhere 'the -power'is to ap plied. Y If the device is Yto be used to propel vessels through the water, the propxellers may aft 2, 'and bel mounted inpairs upon the s facing each other, with thedisks 4 located betweenthem :so that 'the water which es-v capes from the inside of the propeller blades'will be directed toward the center and rear, and' thus assist in the repulsion of the Vvessel to which the` ro'e 1ers are applied. In order to reverse t ev irection of motion without reversing the motor, it is only nec -cranks with suitable conneetin that two or more pairs 'of the isks may -be essary to turn the disks so as to bring that portion which coacts with the ropellersto a osition opposite to that whic 1t occupies w ien driving the vessel ahead. This is readily effected by connecting the disks in such a manner that they may beturned 1n unison. Such a connection may be in the formof rods 6, so

moved simultaneously with relation to their propeller blades and an indicator may be -employed,as at to show when they 'are in the roper position. 4lfVhen thus turned, it will seen that the blades ofthe propellers co-act with the closed portions o the rims of'the disks Vat a point opposite to that in lwhich they acted to drive the vesselv forward, and thus the vesselmaybe reversed. Ifused upon a-submarine, it will be seen that by turning the disks to another point,

the propellers will act tosink the vessel directly, and when the disks are turned again to the properiposition, the propellers will act to raise the vessel; either o ration being effected without stopping t e niotor or 4.5 changing its speed unless the latter be found desirable.

When applied to the propulsion of vessels Vin the air, the propellers may be mounted on addition to this, a propeller as at l0, may be mounted u on a horizontal drivin -shaft so as to a d its power toward driving the apparatus in a forward direction. The disks 4 are here shown as connected in pairs, and the `vertical ropellcr shafts are independently turnab e in suitable sleeves 11. 'lhe I sleeves have'pinions 13' fixed to them, and

` rack bars 14 engage thev pinions.

rack bars are slidable inguides, and each the front -be employed inthe usual shaft, said blades being disposed in opposrack bar ontrolstwo of the disks, so that .the disks may all be set to operate in unison and conjunction with their propeller blades;

or one s et may be reversed or turned with relation to the other,

thus producing a lifting or turnin movement of partially pair of propellers in one direction,

and the rear pair in the opposite. direction.

The Propellers thus controlled will assist in steering or turning the vessel in any desired direction. Y

I have only shown in the present drawings a suflicient plain the propelling mechanism, but it will be understeodthat'vai'iou's arrangements of aero'planesll` and steering rudders 16 may planes or other aerial apparatus.

It willbe understood that the rims 5 or their equivalents may be mounted upon supv ports which are contiguous to the disks, and

the rim may be inovedand adjusted independentlyfof the disks. Their action relative to: the propeller will be similar in either 1. A Ypropeller consisting of blades, a

`shaft on which said? blades are mounted and through-which they are revoluble, said blades havingan arched outer riphe disk fit- 'ting against the concavefixi ry nner sides of the portion of the apparatus to exlsomanner of 'aeroblades,`said disk having an una ertured poisl tion sothat `the fluid throng which the blades are-revolved will be confined while the blades are passing'said portion.`

2. The combination in a propeller,l 'of blades fixed to a shaft, said blades having the outer oitions arched, a disk lying contiguous with the concavities formed by thc said disk having a portion forming a closure therefor whereby the fluid through which thc blades are revolved will be 4confined "while passing-said closures, and allowed to escape after passing them, means for turning. the disk so that the closure may be so placed as to drive the vcsscl'ahead', or to reverseit without changing the direction of rotation of the Propellers.

3. The combination in a propelling ap aratus, of blades mounted upona revolu le ing pairs upon each shaft and having t ieir outer. portionsl arched, a disk having its face contiguousio' the concaved portions of the4 propeller blades, said disk having an unL" aperturcd portion ovdr which the blades pass during their revolution, and by which the fluid is tem orarilyconfned between the blades anddisk, and saidf'disk having other apcrtured portions through which the fluid may escape toward the center.

4. The combination in' a propeller, of blades, a shaft by Whichthe blades are revolved, said blades having the'y outer porlions arched, disks having their faces lying .contiguous t'othe concawed portionsof the Alowithout reference to the motor, and means connecting pairs of the disks verebysaid Vpairs may he changed indepcndenhy of each other. l

In testimony whereofA I have hereuntorset my hand in the presenceof two subscribing 15 witnesses.' LAMARTINE R. FULDA. fitnesses z RAYMOND A. LEONARD, CHARLES EDELMAN. 

